Chapter 13: Bridging is to Destroying
Standard Disclaimer Applies
Sorry been out of the game in a while, got sick.
-oOo-
"I don't want to go out Seiichi." Mayumi struggled to hide under her covers and pillows as her cousin tried to pull her out of bed that morning.
"Well, I'm not leaving you alone either, get out of bed Mayumi." Yukimura pulled on his cousin's feet.
"Leave me alone Seiichi!" Mayumi curled in bed to hide her feet.
"It's such a beautiful spring morning; do you really plan on spending it in bed curled up like that?" Yukimura asked his hand on his hips.
"Hai!" Mayumi stubbornly replied.
"Fine have it your way." Yukimura gave in and slumped on a beanbag at the foot of Mayumi's bed.
"Fine!" Mayumi replied and just lay curled up in bed.
Yukimura tapped his foot to make sure Mayumi knew he was still there.
"Leave me alone Seiichi." Mayumi repeated after hearing her cousin's feet thumping.
"I'm just seating here, I'm not even doing anything." Yukimura stubbornly replied.
"Not getting up from bed Seiichi, no matter what you do."
"Then I'll spend the day watching you slump up in bed thinking, 'Oh my dear poor cousin.'" Yukimura teased.
"Shut up! Just leave me alone." Mayumi turned so her back would face her cousin.
"Your pyjamas look kawaii." Yukimura teased.
"I know; you gave to me during my last birthday." Mayumi reasoned out.
"That's right; I gave those pyjamas to you. Demos, those pyjamas, are happy pyjamas, not sulking pyjamas. Now get up from there!" Yukimura once again pulling on his cousin's feet.
"Iie!" Mayumi kicked her cousin.
"Itte!" Yukimura fell to the floor.
"Seiichi?" Mayumi froze, feeling for any movement from her cousin, but there was none. "Seiichi. Daijabou desu?" She quickly got out of bed and grabbed her cousin's shoulder.
Yukimura just laid there not moving a muscle.
"Seiichi, Seiichi!" Mayumi shook her cousin.
Yukimura began to giggle, "So, that's what it'll take for you to get out of bed."
Mayumi's brows furrowed and she began slapping Yukimura's arms, "I hate you! I really worried about you silly!"
"Iiyo, iiyo, yamero." Yukimura curling up to hide himself from Mayumi's slapping.
Mayumi stopped hitting her cousin and pouted.
"Ike, take a bath, I'll wait for you down stairs." Yukimura grabbed Mayumi's towel and handed it to her before stepping out of the room.
"Seiichi-kun."
"Hai?"
"Arigato for everything." Mayumi meekly said.
Yukimura chuckled; "Isn't that what cousins are for?" then closed the door. Baka Niou! Talk to her already. He tells himself as he leans on his cousin's door.
-oOo-
"Masaharu, are you sure you want to stay behind?" His okaa-san asked as the family was about to go on trip to visit relatives.
"Hai, Okaa-san." He meekly replied.
"What's up with you? You're usually not the one to pass up on an adventure Masa-niisan?" his otouto asked as he walked pass him.
"I'm not feeling well." Was the plain answer.
"Then maybe we should postpone the trip?" his okaa-san offered.
"Maa, oto-san will be going back to work after the break, there will be no other time to visit obaa-san and ojii-san." Niou reasoned out.
"Demo…" his mother was about to insist, but was stopped by his oto-san.
"It'll be alright, Masaharu is a big boy now, he can take care of himself. Ne, Masaharu?" his oto-san winked at him, telling him he understood perfectly why his son wanted to stay behind.
"Hai, hai. Daijabou okaa-san, daijabou." He pushed his okaa-san along with his oto-san.
"E? Iiyo. But we're going to call you every now and then." His okaa-san reminded him.
"Hai." Niou smiled and waved at his family who were getting into the car.
"You better make up with her already; oto-san's sticking out his neck for you." His Nee-san whispered in his ear, as she was the last one to exit the house.
Niou glares at his nee-san.
"You can't hide anything from me Masaharu." His nee-san glares back, "Talk to her already."
Niou smirks at his nee-san.
"Ja ne Masaharu." His oto-san waves at him as they pull out the driveway.
"Make up with her already!" his nee-san mouthed off to him as they drive off.
Niou nods and waves at them. Although, I have no idea how.
-oOo-
"Shouldn't you be spending such a beautiful spring day with a girl you like Seiichi?" Mayumi asked his cousin as they were walking around the amusement park.
"Hmn? Iie, I'm fine right here." Yukimura patted his cousin's shoulder.
"Isn't there someone you like Seiichi?" Mayumi pressed on.
Yukimura stares at his cousin, "Don't you want to spend spring break with me?"
Mayumi stares at his cousin, "Iie, I love spending the seasons with you. You're like a best friend to me. You and Gen-kun, and Misumi."
"But you'd rather be with Niou?"
Mayumi was silent; she just stared at her cousin trying to hold back her tears.
"Saa, you're eyes are getting teary on such a beautiful day." Yukimura pinched his cousin's chin, "Smile."
Mayumi forces a smile.
"Let's go, let's go play some video games in the arcade." Yukimura pulled on her cousin's hand.
"The arcade? Demo, Seiichi, you don't like the arcade." Mayumi resisted.
"Maybe just for today I do." Yukimura turned his head to smile at his cousin.
Seiichi, what will I ever do without you? Mayumi asks herself as she follows her cousin along.
-oOo-
"Gomen ne Hiroshi, I know we've been planning this trip a long time." Yagyuu's oto-san apologized to him as they were putting down their camping equipment from their car.
"Daijabou Oto-san, we still went, it was just cut short." Yagyuu assured his oto-san.
"The price of being a doctor I guess."
"I understand Oto-san." Yagyuu nodded.
"Oh, you're back." His Okaa-san greeted them as she opened the door.
"Hai, we had to cut the trip short, the hospital called me up for an emergency." His oto-san explained.
"Mou, Hiroshi must be really disappointed, you've been looking forward to this hiking trip with your oto-san for a while." His okaa-san patted his head.
"Daijabou okaa-san, an emergency is not something we plan." Yagyuu smiled at his mother.
"Are, Hiroshi-niisan, you're back early?" his imouto hugged him.
"Hai, oto-san had an emergency so we had to cut the trip short." Yagyuu explained.
"Then can you help me buy things for school opening then?" his imouto excitedly tugged his sleeves.
"Why don't you let your nii-san rest for a while first?" His mother dragged his imouto away from him.
"Sa, I'll be leaving for the hospital now."
"Be careful." His okaa-san kissed his oto-san as he was leaving.
Yagyuu felt a pinch in his chest seeing how sweet his parents were, making him ask himself if he'll ever find someone to come home to. He quickly shakes the thought away, thinking he was only in middle school and why would he think about those things.
His imouto noticed the look in his eyes and tugged his sleeves, "Onii-san, daijabou desu ka?"
Yagyuu looks at his imouto's innocent eyes, she was so young and innocent, he wishes he could protect her from ever getting hurt. "Daijabou desu." He pats her head.
-oOo-
"We're fine." Yukimura says over the speaker a hint of irritation evident in his voice.
"Who's that Seiichi? Is that Gen-kun?" Mayumi asks his cousin as they were spending another day together.
"Hai. Sanada, will you just enjoy your fishing trip, Mayumi and I are having a blast." Yukimura tells Sanada over the phone.
"Gen-kun, stop worrying about us, we're enjoying our spring break." Mayumi shouts over the mouthpiece.
"See, I told you, we're doing great." Yukimura repeated. "Hai, hai, chotto matte." Yukimura covers the mouthpiece, "Ano, Mayumi-kun, will you excuse me a while, I just need to talk to Sanada about tennis club stuffs, mind if I walk over there for a while?" Yukimura asked permission from his cousin who was busy eating a giant parfait.
"Hmn." Mayumi nodded.
"Arigato." Yukimura steps away a distance until he was sure Mayumi could no longer hear him. "Sanada, I'm running out of idea to keep her busy."
"That's it, I'm telling oto-san we should come home." Sanada says on the other line.
"Baka! What reason are you going to tell him?" Yukimura reprimands his best friend.
"I don't know, I'll think of something." Sanada rubbed his temple.
"You'll only be gone another day, and school will start in a few days so I'll just keep her busy some more. Demo, Sanada, can you give me some ideas, because I'm seriously running out of things to do with her." Yukimura admitted.
"You're asking me? Seriously Yukimura, me?" Sanada replied; he was after all really bad at planning activities, unless of course it involved tennis practice.
"You're right, well, I can't think of anyone to ask, Renji won't be back from Hawaii until the weekend, Marui's still on a trip with Akutagawa-san's family, Jackal is busy with the family business, Akaya, well, I don't think I can get anything out of Akaya. Yagyuu's on a hiking trip with his oto-san, and well, Niou is of course out of the question—. " Yukimura stopped at mid-sentence after he spotted a familiar figure walking by.
"E? Moshi moshi, Yukimura?" Sanada called out from the other line.
"Eto, I think I just found a new diversion. Ja ne Sanada, bye-bye." Yukimura hang up on Sanada. "Yagyuu!" he calls out to the familiar figure.
Yagyuu turns his head towards the familiar voice, "Yukimura-kun, been a while."
"You're back already from the hiking trip?" Yukimura asked as he walked over.
"Hai, oto-san had an emergency call from the hospital so we had to cut the trip short, we've been back two days now." Yagyuu explained.
"Onii-san, who's he?" Yagyuu's imouto asked as she tugged on his brother's sleeves.
"Aa, this is Yukimura Seiichi-kun; he's out tennis club buchou." Yagyuu introduced Yukimura to his imouto.
"Hello." Yukimura smiled at Yagyuu's imouto.
"Hello." She replied as she shyly hid behind her niisan.
"Kawaii." Yukimura smiled and commented.
"What are you doing here Yukimura-kun? Didn't you have any spring break vacation planned?" Yagyuu inquired of his buchou.
"Aa. Sanada and I were supposed to tag along our oto-san's fishing trip but I opted to stay behind. Hang out with Mayumi for the spring break." Yukimura explained with a smile.
"Sou dane." Yagyuu replied in a sad tone.
"We're eating parfait, would you care to join us?" invited the two.
"Parfait?" Yagyuu's imouto's eyes lit up.
"Oi, oi, you're not allowed too much sweets remember?" Yagyuu reminded his imouto.
"Mou, onii-chan just a small serving—." She made puppy eyes and pouted at his brother, "Please." This of course made Yagyuu's heart melt.
"Fine, just a small serving iiyo?" Yagyuu responded.
"Yey! You're the best onii-chan!" his imouto hugs him before rushing off to the parfait counter to choose what flavour she wanted.
"Aw. Hiroshi-oniichan is such a softy when it comes to his imouto." Yukimura teased.
Yagyuu cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses to hide his blush. "So, you've been hanging out with Suzuki-kun all spring break?"
"Hai."
"Niou-kun still hasn't called her huh?" Yagyuu asked as they followed his imouto to the counter.
"Apparently."
"How is she?"
"Surviving, I can see that she misses him." Yukimura glances over to his cousin who was busy chomping on the giant parfait she'd been eating since a while back.
"Onii-chan I want the strawberry one."
"Iiyo." Yagyuu pays for his imouto's parfait and they walk over to the table where Mayumi was seated.
"Konnichiwa." Yagyuu greeted the girl who still had a dessertspoon in her mouth.
Mayumi's eyes shot up and danced from Yagyuu to Yukimura to the little girl they were with to the strawberry parfait that Yagyuu was holding, frankly, she was more interested in the parfait than the three other figures standing in front of her.
"Take that spoon out of your mouth." Yukimura pulls on the spoon hanging on Mayumi's mouth.
"Gomennasai." Mayumi wipes the ice cream on the side of her mouth.
"I saw Yagyuu and his imouto walking around and I invited them over." Yukimura explained seeing the bewildered look on his cousin's eyes.
"Sou dane." Mayumi replied trying hard to swallow the ice cream in her mouth.
"I hope you don't mind us joining you." Yagyuu politely nodded as he helped his imouto settle down in a chair and placing the strawberry parfait on the table.
"Konnichiwa, Yagyuu Kimiko desu." Yagyuu's imouto introduced herself to Mayumi.
Kawaii ne. Mayumi thought as she took the little girl's hand and shook it, "Suzuki Mayumi desu, yoroshiku."
Yukimura smiled seeing the two girls seemingly getting along.
Yagyuu tried hard not to stare at Mayumi but was seriously failing at it.
"So, are you going to Rikkai as well Yagyuu-kun?" Mayumi addressed the little girl.
"Hmn, I'll graduate from Elementary in five years, and then I'll attend Rikkai like Hiroshi-oniichan." The little girl proudly replied.
"You really idolize your nii-san don't you?" Mayumi continued to converse with the little girl.
"Hai. Onii-chan is the best!" Kimiko declared.
"Sou dane." Mayumi agreed and smilingly stared at the girl then at Yagyuu.
Yagyuu blushed a little when he noticed Mayumi staring at him.
Mayumi noticed the blush and immediately took her eyes off of Yagyuu and back to the almost empty parfait glass in front of her.
"Onii-chan I'm done." Kimiko told her brother.
"Then you better drink some water and wash your face up." Yagyuu told his imouto.
"I'll go help you wash your face Kimiko-chan." Yukimura volunteered.
"Iiyo." Kimiko agreed and looked at his brother for approval.
"Iiyo, go with Seiichi-niisan and wash your face." Yagyuu gave permission to his imouto.
"Let's go Kimiko-chan." Yukimura held the little girl's hands and led her to the sink to wash her face.
"You're imouto is kawaii." Mayumi complimented.
"Aa, aren't they all are, when they're young and innocent like that." Yagyuu agreed as they both followed Kimiko and Yukimura with their eyes.
"It's sweet of you to be spending your spring break with her." Mayumi complimented.
"Aa. I figured I should spend with her while I can, until she grows old enough to find some guy she'd fall in love with and spend less time with me, and I'll just be the strict oniisan who won't let her out on dates." Yagyuu reasoned out.
"I don't think she'd look at you that way Yagyuu-kun." Mayumi commented.
"Maybe." Yagyuu replied with a smile on his lips.
"I think she'll think of you as the sweetest oniisan in the world." Mayumi continued as she stared at Kimiko and Yukimura playing with the water in the sink.
Yagyuu's smile was wiped off and he turned to stare at the girl seated across him. I wish I could do that same for you, but you're not mine to make happy.
"Oniichan! Oniichan! Look was Seiichi-oniisan gave me." Kimiko showing his brother a tissue origami that Yukimura gave her after washing up.
"Aa, that's awesome, did you thank Seiichi-oniisan for that?" Yagyuu patted his imouto's head.
"Hai." Kimiko replied before snuggling up to his brother.
"Well, shall we go now?" Yagyuu asked his imouto.
"Where are you two heading off to?" Yukimura asked.
"We're going to go buy some stuff for Kimiko, for school." Yagyuu replied.
"Ne, Suzuki-neesan, do you want to come with us?" Kimiko jumped from his brother's lap and pulled on Mayumi's hand.
"E?" Mayumi was caught off guard by the question.
"Kimiko, let's not disturb Suzuki-neesan." Yagyuu reprimanded his imouto.
"Iie, it's okay, I'd love to come with you Kimiko-chan." Mayumi smiled at the little girl and patted her head.
"Hontouni?" Kimiko's eyes lit up.
"Sumimasen." Yagyuu apologized.
"Daijabou Yaguu-kun." Mayumi smiled at the boy.
"Sa, I guess we'll be tagging along with you then." Yukimura declared trying his best to look innocent.
"Let's go Suzuki-neesan." Kimiko pulled on Mayumi's hand.
"Iiyo and you can call me Mayumi-neesan, ne Kimiko-chan." Mayumi bent over and ruffled the girl's hair.
"Hai." Kimiko replied joyfully and ran ahead.
"Kimiko, be careful." Yagyuu called out.
"Daijabou Yagyuu-kun." Yukimura patted his teammate as they trailed behind the two girls.
"Is that why you called us over Yukimura-kun?" Yagyuu asked his buchou.
"Nani?"
"You knew my imouto could distract Suzuki-kun from thinking about Niou didn't you? That's why you called me over right?" Yagyuu asked the demigod.
"Sa, I've been caught." Yukimura chuckled.
"Daijabou, if it'll help her smile, even just for today." Yagyuu stares at Mayumi with sad eyes. Baka Niou-kun! Why haven't you called her yet?
"Hmn." Yukimura stares at the bespectacled boy walking beside him.
-oOo-
Niou types some things in his cell phone and quickly erases it again; he types something in and erases it again. Mou! Why can't I do this? He fists the wall of his room. What's wrong with you Masaharu? Just say sorry already. He convinces himself, but fails. Baka! It's almost been two weeks since you last spoke to each other, will you man up and talk to her already! He continues to have an internal debate.
"Masaharu, we're home!" he heard hi okaa-san calling out.
"Aa. Welcome home." He replies as he steps out of his room.
"What's with the sulky face?" his neesan greeted him.
"Onii-chan you look pale." His otouto noted.
"Have you been sulking inside the house the whole time we were gone?" his neesan inquired.
"So what if I was?" Niou replied bitterly.
"Son, can I talk to you?" his oto-san called out to him.
Niou dragged his feet to go to the patio where his oto-san headed.
"What is it that's been bothering you Masaharu? This isn't like you, you're usually the lively and adventure filled one." His oto-san asked straight to the point.
"Ma." Niou shrugged his shoulder.
"I thought you were dating someone. Suzuki was her name wasn't it?" his oto-san affirmed.
"Hai." Niou shyly admitted.
"Did you two break up?"
"Iie."
"Did you have a fight?"
"Betsuni."
His oto-san sighs, he knew his son was not that best with words, "Iiyo, whatever it is, if it's your fault you better man up and admit you were wrong. School will be starting in a few days, how are you going to face her if you don't even try to make amends right now?" his oto-san pats his back and leaves to go back in the house.
Niou follows his oto-san but stop to look at the stars that spring night, I wonder what you're doing right now?
-oOo-
It was the first day of their senior year. He couldn't believe two weeks had gone by so quickly. He couldn't believe it had gone by without even a single word between them. Niou wouldn't admit it publicly, but he missed Mayumi desperately. He stood there, in the hallway, waiting.
"Oi! Niou how was your spring break?" Marui greeted him.
"Peaceful." Was his response, frankly, Marui was not the person he wanted to talk to right now.
"Have you seen Jackal?" Marui continued to bug him.
"Probably already in his classroom." Was the irritated response.
"Touchy." Was Marui's comment before leaving him alone.
Niou's eyes continued to wander the corridor searching for a familiar purple head, but the oceans of students seem to drown him.
"Akaya." He called out to his kohai.
"Hai Niou-senpai?" Akaya replied held his eyes closed, waiting for something to drop unto him as a welcome back prank from Niou, but there was none.
"Have you seen Yukimura?"
Akaya opened his eyes, "Iie, gomen senpai."
"Iiyo." Niou left the second year ace alone.
Akaya followed his senpai with his eyes and scratched his head, wondering why Niou seemed preoccupied that morning.
Niou couldn't stand and wait any more, so he went on and walked over to section three's classroom and went ahead and took a peek inside. Yukimura was not there yet, neither was Mayumi. He heard girls screaming down the hallway, screaming like that on a first day of school only mean one thing, the Rikkai big three had arrived, and where Yukimura was, Mayumi would probably be. So Niou rushed to the direction of the screaming and he was not mistaken, there they were walking the hallway in all their glory, Yanagi, with his fresh from Hawaii tan, Sanada and that stern face he always had, Yukimura and that friendly smile off court. But more importantly behind them was the girl he had been waiting for.
"She looks different don't you think?" Yagyuu asked Niou as he appeared out of nowhere.
"Yagyuu?" Niou asked surprised.
"She looks very pretty today don't you think?" Yagyuu asked again as they watched the big three pass by with Mayumi trailing behind them.
"Nani? When did she cut her hair?" Niou asked Yagyuu.
"I don't know, that last time I saw her she still had longer hair." Yagyuu responded.
"Nani? When was the last time you saw her exactly?" Niou asked, jealousy obvious in his voice.
"Three or four days ago I think, she was with Yukimura in the mall eating parfait." Yagyuu replied.
"And you just happened to be conveniently there?" Niou asked.
"I was shopping for school things for my imouto." Yagyuu reasoned out.
Niou glared at Yagyuu.
"I think it suites her better, the short layered hair." Yagyuu completely ignoring Niou's glaring.
"Yagyuu." Niou had a threatening tone.
"Nani?" Yagyuu replied as he adjusted his glasses.
"She's my girlfriend." Niou reminded the gentleman.
"I know." Yagyuu turns to walk to class, "Although, you haven't been acting like a boyfriend to her, have you, Niou-kun?" Yagyuu comments before finally walking away.
Yeah, I haven't. Niou admits to himself. Then stares at the girl who was entering her own classroom with her cousin. And yes, she looks very pretty with the new haircut.
-oOo-
There a sneak on their spring break. Next chapter we'll definitely be following the PoT story line.